What are grounds for an annulment in the Catholic Church?

Some common grounds for annulment requests include that a petitioner never intended to be permanently married or faithful, and that mental illness or substance abuse prevented them from consenting to a lifelong marriage.

What percentage of Catholic annulments are granted?

Gray said, is the percentage of annulments that are granted. “In most years since 1980, this has fluctuated between 85 percent and 92 percent,” Mr. Gray said. “In 2012, nine in 10 cases resulted in a ruling of nullity.”

Why would an annulment be denied?

Reasons for Annulment Denial In some cases, grounds may include aspects like bigamy, the fact that your partner was already married, coercion, forced marriage, and fraud if you were tricked into marriage. If you can’t meet these requirements, then your marriage is valid and you will have to receive a divorce.

How do you fight an annulment?

You cannot simply challenge an annulment by telling the court that you wish to remain married. Rather, you are challenging the material representations made by the petitioner. For example, if the grounds for annulment are listed as fraud in the petition, you will need to argue that the fraud never occurred.

What is the benefit of an annulment?

Because an annulment basically acts as though the marriage never existed, there are fewer issues to deal with. The court may not deal with dividing property. Property division disputes may be intensive and long-lasting. In this sense, an annulment can more quickly dissolve a marriage with fewer issues to deal with.

Is annulment easier than divorce?

Although most couples choose divorce, an annulment is a better option for one or both spouses under certain circumstances. Legal annulments are rare, and the consequences of an annulment differ significantly from the effects of a divorce.

How is property divided in an annulment?

Courts responsible for dividing assets in annulment will attempt to try to leave the couple in the same financial state as before the marriage. If the parties did not obtain any marital assets over the course of their marriage, each party will be left with whatever money and property they brought into the marriage.

Do you have to split assets in an annulment?

In most states, because an annulled marriage is legally viewed as never having been valid, courts don’t have the authority to award alimony or divide property or debts. So in California, couples going through an annulment must separate their own property, including both assets and debts.